


you really know how to make me cry, when you give me those ocean eyes

by velvetvelour



Category: DC Comics, DCU (Comics), New Teen Titans, Teen Titans (Comics), Titans (Comics)
Genre: Alien Planet, Atlantis, Cultural Differences, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, Gender-neutral Reader, M/M, Metahuman Reader, Multi, New Earth, Post-Crisis (DCU), Pre-Flashpoint (DCU), Secret Crush, Slow Burn, Star Sapphire Corps - Freeform, Star Sapphire Reader, Zamaron, and its mostly a secret, basically youre in love with garth, but becoming a star sapphire. interferes with that., cmon. this always happens. i have no clue how to tag, further elaboration inside, i'll add more characters as they show up/are mentioned, o wow i almost forgot, probably. not that slow though
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-20
Updated: 2021-02-10
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:00:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 17,877
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25398826
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/velvetvelour/pseuds/velvetvelour
Summary: You know your crush on him might be a little obvious. The kind that sits pretty clearly on your sleeve to anyone who’s really paying attention, no matter how hard you try to funnel the bulk of it into your journal for the sake of nonchalance. You’ve been seeing purple everywhere, in everything, whether you like it or not.But for this glowing pink space ring to single you out as the strongest source of love in the middle of a populated city because of it? Now that’s just plain humiliating.
Relationships: Garth (DCU)/Reader, Garth of Shayeris/Reader
Comments: 16
Kudos: 35





	1. what's love got to do with it?

**Author's Note:**

> alright. basically, i've always wanted to write a star sapphire story. and you might be thinking, if this is a star sapphire story, why isn't the love interest, like, a fellow lantern? kyle or hal or something? but the answer is simple. Because <3
> 
> i'm gonna be completely honest here. everything about dc is ridiculously convoluted. i'm never going to be overly specific with the details of When and Where and How a dc story takes place, because it's just not worth the effort. if you really need a time frame, I'll let you know in terms of garth. this isn't the new, blue, straight haired, boring garth. this is curly haired, red suit, Tempest garth. so, like, this is some vague point in time after the tempest miniseries, but before blackest night for obvious reasons. if you really, really like post-flashpoint garth...i dont know what to tell you, because i havent seen much with him in it during this era, but what i did see, i was not a very big fan of. maybe you can picture it as that version of him (or any other), maybe not, i dont know either way, but i'm always gonna have the OG garth in mind while writing this.
> 
> and, it's a nondescript titans team. i'll be honest and say i was inspired to write this while reading titans '99, but this isn't necessarily supposed to be during that series, and i probably wont reference any specific events from it. the roster is...whoever i want it to be, because dc is fake and i am a genius. but really, it's just titans and tempest garth. that's all you need to know.
> 
> by the way, i'm no expert on garth, and i probably have not read enough comics with him in them to be writing this, but I Love What I've Seen and i've been trying to read as much of him as possible lately, so i'm doing it anyway. i hope there aren't too many hardcore garth stans who crucify me if my characterization is ever too far off, cause i'm still trying to get a handle on it. (but, like, i'd appreciate it if someone lets me know if it's good or not at some point, LOL)

In a situation like this, you’re really more suited for the ground work. 

You can’t fly, can’t toss cars a hundred paces down the road or zip around at Mach 5, and even as a hero, your hand-to-hand combat certainly leaves some amount to be desired. Frankly, you aren’t even sure what’s going on. You aren’t so vital to the disaster that the big guns need to pass their intel onto you, and you’d actually be pretty surprised if they did. The gist of it seems to be some deadly visitors from another solar system. Most of the fighting seems to be in the sky anyway, either floating mid-air or invisibly on the rooftops stretching down this wide city street--which is exactly why  _ you’re  _ down at street level.

Falling debris and stray laser-beams or projectiles pose no threat to you, just as the physical containers of all the stopped and wrecked cars can do little to stop you as you reach in and yank the passengers out of them. Damage control is where you shine as a hero. While the heavy hitters attack the actual threat, you’re made busy by all the trapped, terrified, or immobilized civilians who could benefit greatly from your helping hand of intangibility; your high value in this regard never comes into question, and especially not now, as you step easily through an inconvenient mountain of broken concrete and metal to find a group of panicking civilians, trapped behind the debris-blocked door of a fast food joint. Expectedly, they startle to see you emerge.

“Alright everyone, don’t worry, I can get you all safely out of here,” you assure them. 

“Seems like it’s safer in here than out there!” shouts one of them, a middle aged man in a trucker hat. A cowering woman stands a little behind him with a teary-eyed toddler in her arms. “You lot are tearing up the city!”

There’s a couple murmurs of agreement among the Burger City-goers.

“I promise the heroes are doing everything they can to prevent as much damage to the city as possible,” you explain, but you can’t help but feel like a politician or something; you don’t even know exactly what the hell they’re fighting  _ against. _ “But all I’m worried about is helping you all evacuate as quickly and safely as possible. That sound good?”

“What if we don’t want to leave, huh? Why shouldn’t we wait this bullshit out in here so we don’t get blasted to bits the second we step out?” This time, it’s a young and exhausted looking woman with a stringy, bright green braid and two arms painted with tattoos.

“The fighting’s all up above the rooftops. There’s considerably less blasting going on down here, especially if we go through the side and exit into the alley next to us, and I promise I won’t let any harm come to you. You can all make it through to the next street over and get as far away from here as possible.”

“But what if--?!” Alright, that’s it.

“I’m sorry, but you all aren’t the only civilians I need to help evacuate. Every second I spend convincing you all to keep yourselves safe is a second taken away from someone else who might be in serious trouble. Now, can you please-- _ quickly-- _ make a line?”

Some more grudgingly or suspiciously than others, the crowd forms itself into a messy line of people.

“Alright, good. Now, hold on to the person in front of you, tightly.” You look to the leader of the line, the green-haired girl. She seems too annoyed with the situation to waste time protesting. “Yes, that means me, too.”

You grab her hand (is it just you, or is she trying to hurt you?) and check down the line, making sure everyone is holding on.

“This is going to feel really weird, but it’s perfectly safe, and you  _ cannot  _ let go until the very last person is out. Seriously. Even if you have the worst nose-itch of your life. Alright, everyone?”   


A few sporadic nods are the best you get as an assent. It’ll have to do.

Slowly, you lead your little line of ducklings to the side wall of the Burger City, standing just before a line of booths, and you give in to that familiar weightless feeling. A couple gasps from behind you assure you that the effect has passed on, so you take your first impossible step. There’s a constant pressure that’s hard to describe all throughout the affected parts of your body as you phase through the matter of the table, then the wall, and it releases like the pop of a bubble as you emerge freely on the other side. You turn around in time to see the almost horrified face on woman behind you seep out from the bricks, which quickly turns to relief as she finds herself free once more, and the process repeats around tenfold, with only an odd one or two who seemed to find the sensation more awe-inspiring than heinous.

It’s not a moment after you release the group from your ability that suddenly, from the battle-facing entrance of the alley, you see a blur of bright pink plunge violently from the sky, crying out for a moment before hitting the ground with a crack so hard that you feel a tremor at your feet. It’s followed soon by something else, more visibly monstrous, that emits an inhuman, shrill warcry as it lunges down to the street. A few screams raise from the group, and you can hear the toddler crying, so you turn to them quickly.

“Go, now, all of you. As far away from here as possible, no stopping for any reason. There should be a police barricade a couple blocks down. I need to make sure no one here gets hurt.” 

Evidently, they don’t need to be told twice; some of them started rushing away the moment you opened your mouth.

Calling on all that heroic bravery you’re supposed to have, you run back to the central street and look down towards the collision. They must be fighting in the crater caused by the first person’s awful crash, because you can’t see the exchanging of blows, but there’s a puff of dust and asphalt particles in the air around it, and bright pink flashes and beams of light emerge upwards from ground level. Both grunts of exertion and inhuman screeches join the distant symphony of battle from the skies.

More pressingly, however, there’s a still-inhabited car no more than twenty feet from the perimeter of the scuffle, so there’s your next destination. 

You sprint towards it as quickly as you can, running straight through other vehicles as you go, and soon enough, you make it to the car, a stunned and frozen woman gripping tensely onto the steering wheel, and as you come around to the side of the car, you see her eyes wide in terror. Before she can even realize what’s happened, you reach your hand in and quickly pull her out of the confines of her car, but she’s barely even able to balance on her own feet as you try to help her stand beside you. She’s muttering something under her breath, but it’s much too noisy to hear her.

“Ma’am? Ma’am, are you alright? Are you hurt?”

She doesn’t answer, and consequently, you know you’ll have to half-drag her away from all this. About halfway down the same alleyway you came from, you hear one last anguished, human-sounding scream, and then an unnerving quiet from the battle down the street. 

The woman doesn’t seem as though she’s going to come back to reality any time soon, so you take her as far as you can afford to and do your best to point towards where you know the local authorities to have set up a barrier, trying to clearly explain that she needs to go there, and while she doesn’t acknowledge your words, when you release her, she sets off stumbling in that direction, and you sigh. Leaving her alone and scared seems cruel, but your work isn’t even close to done.

But, that’s when someone says your name. Your full name. Like, the secret one that only some of your fellow heroes should be privy to.

You jump about a foot into the air--then, turn around to see a pink ring floating in your face, glowing the same color as whoever it was that fell from the sky a few minutes ago. A ring, just like the ones the Green Lanterns use. Except...pink. 

“You are capable of giving great love,” the ring says somehow, and it’s hard to tell if it’s really producing the voice out loud, or if it’s coming from inside of your head. Maybe it’s both.

“...Am I?” You answer, well past the point of bemused.

“Yes, you are,” it assures you. “A fierce and pure love radiates from your beating heart. You are worthy of wielding the eternal power of love against all forces of hate and darkness that threaten the universe.”

You blink. “Um, are you sure, though? I mean…” You look upwards, towards all the distant chaos that you really should be attending to right now. “I’m pretty sure, like, Wonder Woman is around here somewhere. There are definitely better heroes with more love in their hearts who could probably use your help right now.”

The ring, apparently, ignores you. “You are currently in proximity to your greatest love.”

_ “What?” _ If you were drinking something, you would’ve spat it all over this intergalactic piece of jewelry. Even as you play dumb, you know exactly what-- _ who _ it’s referring to.

“A radiant and unwavering thread connects you. The love in your heart burns brighter at present than any other on this battlefield--and still more at his mention. With this ring, you can defend all bonds of love, and protect those who have yet to discover its warmth.” 

Ignoring the mortifying implications of your selection as well at the ill-timed heat that has risen to your face, it occurs to you--in a purely logical, certainly not overeager and hope-driven sense--that a thread goes two ways. “Wait,  _ what-- _ what does that mean? A thread? A  _ literal  _ thread? Do you mean that it--?”

“Will you accept this gift?” Is it just you, or does it sound a little impatient? Alright, yeah, maybe not the most responsible time for this line of inquiry. 

...This is crazy. There is presently a disaster of a possibly Earth-threatening (or, at the very least, city-threatening) scale going on, and you’ve ceased in your mission of saving troubled citizens to talk to a glowing, floating accessory from space. You know it must have something to do with the Green Lanterns, but you didn’t know they came in pink! For all you know, these rings could be the polar opposites--the eternal enemies of the Green Lanterns, and even engaging with the thing could be some kind of galactic crime! And what’s worse, you’re actually considering its offer!

“This ring will give you the power to protect the ones you love most.”

Without even meaning to, your mind flashes back to all the times you’ve seen your friends hurt. Some injuries would take weeks, even months to heal completely, meanwhile, thanks to your ability, you return almost exclusively without more than a scratch from every mission. It’s painful each time--your lacking combat skills and the more support-proficient nature of your power means that you are often sent away from the fighting with alternate goals while the rest engage the enemy. Whether it’s recon work, stealthily freeing hostages, nullifying a bomb just as it explodes, or keeping civilians safe at times like these, your objectives rarely pose any threat to yourself, and don’t always allow you to spread your gift of intangibility to the friends who would benefit from them so much in the heat of danger. 

But with this ring...maybe you could do it all.

“This is...insane, to say the least, but alright. What the hell. I accept.”

No sooner than you utter the words, the ring slips itself firmly onto your finger, a band of almost painful, concentrated heat.

“Welcome, Star Sapphire.”

And then, it fucking hurts. The inside of your hand heats up rapidly, soon becoming a scorching, fiery burn, and just when it’s on the verge of unbearable, you see them--little pink crystals emerging sharply from your flesh, covering your hand, then your arm, spreading throughout your body along with the heat and sprouting up all over you so quickly that all you can do is scream until the crystals merge and enclose around you dense enough to block the sound and render you immobile. In your fear and panic, your thoughts latch onto the image of  _ him,  _ the last time you saw him before you went your separate ways to join the battle; the supportive squeeze he gave your shoulder, that sweet smile on his face that fits nicely between confident and reassuring, the private promise that he’d always be down at street level as well if you need him--so, needless to say, you feel a little melodramatic when the mound of crystal shatters harmlessly, freeing you and leaving you brimming with a powerful warmth and bounding energy that you’ve never felt before.

You probably should’ve expected this, but you do a double take as you look down and see your trusty suit replaced with something, well, new. Gleaming, almost metallic pink from head to toe, and just a little more skin showing than you would have expected. A magenta aura glows around you, and, oh, God, you’ve really just become a--what did it say it was? A Star Sapphire? 

But you don’t have much time to bask in this sudden transformation, because another one of those inhuman screeches fills the air, and not a moment later, you see that alien creature lurking down the street past the end of the alleyway. Instead of flying back upwards to the fight, it seems content to stay down here--where you know people still remain yet to be evacuated.

“Oh, shit.”

Less than a minute as a Star Sapphire, with no clue how to use this shiny new ring, and you already have to fight some sort of alien creature you know absolutely nothing about! But, hell, it’ll be fine. Quickly running a test, you confirm that your ability still works on top of the ring’s additional powers, take a short breath, and start running.

Once you’re out in the open again, it seems as though your footsteps have altered the creature, who whips around and basically hisses at you. You raise your fist, pointing the ring at it, but--oh, God, how do you even make it work? It lunges at you faster than you can make a move, so you panic and go incorporeal again, which was an excellent call, because it moves right through you with enough force to smash an empty car behind you into a scrap heap.

Round two; you raise the ring again and, um, try to will something to happen. Still nothing. It’s angry, bewildered by the fact that you somehow “dodged” its attack, and it prepares to attack again, two hands of deadly claws ready to rip your head off. Once more, you’re forced to let it throw itself right through you.

“How do I make this thing work?!” you ask frantically, watching in horror as the creature gets up once more, very clearly enraged.

“Your love unlocks its power,” the ring reminds you. 

“Yeah, I  _ get  _ that, but what do I  _ do? _ It’s not working!”

“Feel freely, and your heart will guide your strength.”

God, can’t this thing give you a straight answer?! These vague platitudes about love are starting to get old fast. What the hell does that even  _ mean? _ At this rate, you’ll end up trying again and again until you exhaust your intangibility uselessly and this furious alien will flay you before you’ve even had a chance to fulfill you humble dream of kissing--

Suddenly, you jump out of your skin as a massive beam of swirling pink light shoots forward from your ring, strong enough that it pushes you back a foot or two against the asphalt as it springs forward, and the alien shrieks, flailing and clawing at the air as it flies backwards about the length of a city block. 

...Huh. Wait, holy shit, you did it!

_...Oh. _ You have to think about... _ love _ to make it work. That...makes a lot of sense, and probably should’ve been obvious, but hell if it isn’t downright mortifying. (Really?!  _ That _ pathetic schoolyard crush thought is what got it to work?! You’ll beat yourself up about it later on!)

“Wh--what the hell do I do now?” you ask, equal parts freaked out and excited.

“Follow the path forged by the love in your heart.”

You blink. “No, I mean, like, what the hell  _ can  _ I do? How do I use this thing?” 

“You can concentrate your love into the formation of hard light constructs. You are capable of flight, and considerably more resistant to injury. You may encase the lost and hateful within violet crystal, that they may rehabilitate and learn to find love in their hearts once again--”

“Whoa, wait, that one seems a little--”

“You may travel freely through space and other environments unfit to sustain life. You may teleport to those whom you love most, as well as to Zamaron, the home planet of the Star Sapphires.”

“Teleport? You mean I’ll always be able to find my friends in an instant?” That’s looking like a pretty good option, considering that very angry creature could very well be back for blood at any moment, and you aren’t sure you’re quite equipped to take it on just yet. 

“The ring shall always take you where your heart most desires to be.”

“Okay, well, that’s helpful, but how do I--?”

There’s a disorienting flash of pinkish-white light, and suddenly you’re somewhere else.

The first thing you notice is how much louder the sounds of battle are--and the second thing you notice is Garth’s expression of utter shock and surprised yelp just a split second before the glowing purple lights in his eyes shoot forward. You’ll thank Dick sometime soon for all those torturous hours of reflex training he’s drilled you through, because you react just quickly enough to make yourself incorporeal before the beams smack you right in the face, but just to be safe, you squint your eyes shut in panic anyway. You get the sense of them entering and then leaving the space where you head would otherwise stop them, and when your eyes finally pop back open, you find Garth bent over slightly, his palms pressed into his eyes, before he suddenly looks back to you with a face of horror, lunging forward to grab either side of your shoulders.

“Are you alright?! Are you--!?” He pauses, and his brow furrows deeply as his eyes glance over you and he finally notices what the hell you’ve got on. “You-...When did you change your clothes?”

Even though he asks, his attention is suddenly pulled elsewhere and he tugs you aside with one hand as the other raises forward powerfully to trap one of the creatures’ legs in ice. It’s then that you notice exactly what you’re surrounded by: though you’re still on the street, you’re much closer to where the battle has been taking place, with much of it going on directly overhead. This area was the first to be evacuated, being the closest to the invasion, so you can guess that Garth has been here, fending off the creatures that decide to try their luck on the ground rather than in the air. He’s popped open a couple fire extinguishers to keep a steady stream of water coating the streets for him to work with, and you notice then a couple other incapacitated creatures with most of their bodies trapped in ice. 

There are a few other heroes scattered about down here, but you can’t identify any of them before Garth pulls you aside, bringing the both of you a few steps down an alleyway to avoid being targeted as he turns himself back to you with concern.

“I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

“No, no, I’m fine, really, but I just, um...” You kinda wish your greeting words in this ridiculous situation were a little more comprehensive, but looking up at his face blooms a very strange feeling inside of you. It’s like everything else in the world fades away, and there’s only him, and you, the warmth inside your chest, and the floating feeling that overtakes your body...Wait, maybe that’s a little more than just a feeling.

“What’s happened to you?” he asks, just in time for you to start rising awkwardly in the air, and your eyes blow open wide as you realize that your feet are no longer on the ground. 

He looks at you in confused awe as his hands fall from your arms and you raise high enough to look clean above his head, your feet kicking awkwardly and arms struggling for purchase on something. Garth offers his hand, seemingly without thinking as his expression does not change, and you feel a little better as you take it--that is, until you start to lose your upright balance. It feels almost like you're free-falling despite hardly moving in space at all, and your feet rise behind you, body turning horizontal to no desire of your own. 

“Garth!” Panic ushers out your voice for a moment as your feet threaten to rise higher than your head, very unsettled by this feeling of floating around erratically and almost maneuvering yourself further than his arm can reach.

“It’s alright, it’s alright. Just look at me, okay?” As if you could make yourself look anywhere else if you  _ tried! _ “Take my other hand. I won’t let you go.”

It’s a brief moment before you right yourself out and make your way back to stable ground, taking his other hand as he asked and letting it guide you, but when you see that big smile on his face, you almost wish you had just let yourself float off into the great beyond.

“See? You’re fine.” You feel him squeeze your hands. “But...what the hell _ happened?  _ You look sort of like a Green Lantern, but, well...”

“Pink,” you finish, and release one of his hands to show him your ring--a task which takes an inordinate amount of willpower to do. “Yeah, I think it’s exactly that. It said I’m a Star Sapphire.”

“It’s, um...” When he finally gets a proper, undistracted look at your bright pink wardrobe change, it seems to have, remarkably, taken the words from his mouth, and he just stares for a moment that same smile on his face. Realizing this, however, he blinks himself back to Earth. “...Sorry, I mean, you look great. But do you know how to use it?”

You barely even noticed his own distraction, because you feel so content that you’re hardly even inclined to answer him; it seems like a much sweeter idea to stand there and stare at him for the rest of the day. Just looking at him is almost hypnotic for some reason, and you really have to put effort into keeping your mind focused.

“I, uh, blasted one of those...things, and then it brought me here for some reason.”

The ring chimes in. “You were brought to the side of your greatest--”

It’s more than obvious to you how it intends to finish that sentence, and on pure instinct, your hand clamps tightly around your finger, thankfully muffling the sound.

“That’s not important right now,” you insist, talking over it for extra coverage, and clear your throat. But your stomach sinks anyway--you aren’t sure it’s enough to fool Atlantean ears.

He pops an eyebrow up. “Your greatest... _ friend?  _ As in, your favorite?” Stunned, you just stare at him dumbly; he either misheard or just guessed, but regardless, you’re apparently in the clear. He seems to take your reaction for confirmation, and, threatening the continued function of your heart, he gives you a wink. “Oh, don’t worry, we’ll keep it our secret. I’m flattered, though. But anyway, is the evacuation rescue finished?”

You gasp, the reminder of your duties pulling you back a little more into the present. “Shit,  _ no, _ I had to stop when the alien attacked me, and then it brought me over here, and I--”

“We’ll finish together, then,” Garth says, his hand once again landing on your shoulder. “We’ve nearly pushed them back, and there’s enough firepower here that I don’t think I’ll be missed. Endangered civilians are a higher priority. Though, with the others evacuating as well, it may be taken care of.” 

He turns to leave the alley, and as soon as his face is no longer in your line of vision, your mind feels like it’s been snapped out of a trance. It takes another couple seconds for your thoughts to catch up with you, but when they do, you’re nearly tripping over yourself to set off after him. There’s work to do! 

Flying is your fastest option, and even though your first experience was a little, well, rocky, it’s still better than running around at a slower pace to avoid a little awkward floundering. Your shaky flight and increased strength in combination with your intangibility works wonders for rescue services--Garth’s inhuman speed and strength make lifting debris and rescuing multiple people at a time a cake walk for him, but you still manage to swoop in and out of buildings and deliver the civilians much quicker and more reliably than you could purely on foot.

It seems to be straining you though, because by the time you deliver your last couple survivors and make it back to the main street where the fight is slowing to a halt, you’re getting wobbly, and no sooner than you find Garth again do you fall from the sky altogether.

As your feet return clumsily to the ground in front of him, you stumble forward, and he’s quick to grab onto your upper arms for what must be the fourth time today, keeping you from tripping entirely into him. 

“You know, part of me expected you to go right through me,” he jokes, but you hardly even process his words.

It’s happening again--being this close to him, looking at him is making your mind feel hazy and strange, like you’re no longer aware of anything else around you, and you couldn’t look away from those deep purple eyes of his with a gun to your head. But it doesn’t feel... _ right.  _ It’s like you’ve been pushed a few inches backwards inside of your own body, like your control isn’t synced up properly, and you swear your temperature is rising like crazy!--though, any other time, you might just blame it on Garth’s excessively warm hands. If you’d ingested something beforehand, you’d probably assume you’ve been drugged, but you know it must be some side effect of this ring.

“Garth, I feel really weird,” you mumble, mostly under your breath, and your words come out a little slurred. His casual face quickly turns more serious.

“Weird, how? Do you think it could be the ring? It isn’t hurting you, is it?”

“No, no, it’s just…” You trail off, just staring at him in a daze as he scans your face with concern.

“Hey, really, are you okay? Maybe you should take it off for now. The fighting’s over, anyway, so you don’t need to push yourself. ...Uh, hello?”

He waves his hand in front of your eyes, and you don’t feel yourself move--don’t even intend to do it--but a moment later, you see your own hand raising as well, higher and closer to him until it touches his cheek and Garth’s eyes open wide, all the more hypnotic in your distant, dreamy state. His lips move, he’s saying something, but you can’t hear him at all anymore, and your other hand starts to raise as well, until suddenly--

It’s like a bucket of ice water over your head. One second, you’re lost in a fluttery, unreal dream, and the next, you’re entirely present and conscious, every single rose-colored layer stripped from your vision, and full control over your limbs returns to you--which, upon realizing what you’re doing, you utilize to jump back in horror, throwing your hands over your mouth.

“Oh, my God,  _ what  _ was I…?”

Then, you realize, your ring is gone, and you’re back in your normal suit--and, you and Garth aren’t quite as alone as it seemed a moment ago. You jump out of your skin when you notice Dick standing beside you, looking at you very...carefully, with the shiny pink ring between his fingers. And then, you notice Wally, and Kory, and Donna, and Vic, and oh, God,  _ everyone’s _ here now, aren’t they? It’s a wonder the heat radiating off of your face doesn’t evaporate the poor Atlantean in front of you.

“Feeling better?” Garth asks sweetly, thankfully not appearing nearly as horrified as you feel. 

Dick says your name, so you turn to him, still holding the ring between his fingers. “Where did you find this?”

_ “It _ found  _ me,” _ you correct. What, does he think you  _ stole  _ it? “I was just--I was evacuating citizens, and then...then this pink blur, it… Whoa…”

Suddenly, you feel very lightheaded. Your knees wobble, making you stumble, and you know you’re going to pass out a few seconds before it actually happens. The last thing you see before your vision goes spotted is Garth, lunging forward to catch you--and your last thought is to the tune of, oh, God, couldn’t it have been  _ anyone  _ else?


	2. lost in your eyes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i usually don't name my chapters because i just don't really care to, but this time, just for fun, i've decided to name each chapter after a famous love song from the 80s. just for the record.
> 
> this whole chapter is basically just one long conversation, which has reminded me how difficult it can be to accommodate more than, like, four people in one scene without letting you forget exactly who all is around or underutilizing anyone. 
> 
> also, though i'd never name a reader character, i decided to give this reader the superhero name of Phantom to match their untouchable ability. apparently there already is a dc hero named Phantom (or The Phantom), but they seem minor + niche enough that i don't really care about stealing the name, lmao.

When you wake up, you’re back at the tower.

Spread out on a bed in the medical bay. You don’t know why the hell they didn’t just put you on the couch or something--when you open your eyes, you get a glimpse of what it must be like to wake up at your own damn funeral.

Everyone’s just standing around, but when you start to lift yourself up to sit straight, the quiet conversations around you cut off and you receive the bulk of their attention.

“Okay, how long have you all just been waiting around for me to wake up?” you groan. “I just passed out. It’s not like I’m on my deathbed.”

“Yeah, but we had no clue  _ why  _ you passed out,” says Vic, standing by a computer screen that seems to be monitoring your vitals.

“We were just considering running some tests, actually,” Dick adds from beside him.

“‘We’ absolutely will not.”

“Are you feeling alright?” Kory asks suddenly, gently pushing her way past Wally and Donna to stand directly at your bedside.

“Yeah, I feel fine,” you assure her--all of them. “I don’t even know why I lost consciousness.”

“It must have to do with the ring,” Garth comments. He’s looking at you a little more closely--a little more anxious than the others, and man, you wish you hadn’t noticed that. You hope he doesn’t think it’s his fault.

“It seemed to be causing some sort of reaction in you when we met up,” Dick says. “That much was clear immediately. Are you certain the ring isn’t  _ possessing  _ you when you put it on?”

“No, it’s... I felt perfectly normal, even better than normal, until… Well…” 

“Until you appeared in front of me?” Garth guesses. Shoving down the mortification, you only nod. 

Dick turns his attention to him. “Garth, did they seem like themselves when they were with you?”

“At first, yes, if a bit spacey, but the more time passed, the more they seemed to fall into some kinda trance,” he explains, and he pinches his chin contemplatively. “But they did finish evacuating the street without any problems, so it didn’t seem to impede them until...well, a little bit before the rest of you showed up.”

“Maybe it has to do with Garth, then?” Donna offers. 

“I don’t know,” you chime in a little too fast. This is not a direction you want this conversation to go in, and the urge to jump up and barrel past everyone like a rogue bowling ball to get out of the room nearly overtakes you. Obviously, you noticed that it’s  _ Garth  _ and not the many other civilians you encountered that made you lose your marbles with that thing on, but you sure as hell don’t want the rest of them to follow that same train of thought and get to the logical conclusion.

“Hey, the Green Lanterns’ rings work on willpower, right?” Wally asks. He’s tapping his foot so fast that it’s just making one continuous, kind of annoying sound. “So then, what makes the pink ones work?”

“My people have never welcomed officers of the Green Lanterns on our planet,” Kory says, suddenly very interested, “but I recall hearing stories of members of the Star Sapphire arriving on Tamaran to save pairs of lovers, or resolve issues of heartbreak. They are spoken of like those cupid angels here on Earth. For that, they must be powered by feelings of love. Am I correct?”

Your stomach sinks, but just as you’re about to answer in the affirmative, your ring suddenly snatches itself away from Dick, who was still holding on to it for you, and comes to float beside you, glowing actively once again.

“Only those with the ability to give great love may wield the power of a Star Sapphire.”

“That’s...what it told me,” you sigh defeatedly.

“Oh, that’s wonderful!” Kory exclaims, and lifts you off of the bed and into a hug quite unexpectedly. “I have always known you are full of love. It isn’t surprising that you’d be worthy of such a power.”

You chuckle a little, somewhere between flattered and awkward. “Thank you, but I still really don’t know why it chose  _ me. _ I mean,  _ you  _ would probably make a better Star Sapphire than me, Kory. Or Donna, or even Garth.”

_ “Me?” _ Garth asks with a funny face, and part of you can’t believe you even said that out loud.

“Well, yeah, you…” You...really don’t know how to explain yourself on this one. “I mean, you just...seem to have a lot of love in you.” He gives you a thoughtful (if not slightly confused) look, and you wonder why you even bother to open your traitorous mouth in the first place.

“Now  _ that  _ I’d love to see,” Roy interjects with a borderline obnoxious laugh. “Go ahead, put the ring on, Gillhead. Let’s see  _ you  _ turn all ‘pretty in pink.’ Anyone got a camera?”

“You realize I can blast you across the room without lifting a finger, now, Roy?”

“Alright, enough,” Dick interjects. He’s still deep in leader mode. “What I’m most concerned about is getting to the bottom of why the ring is making Phantom act the way that they did. Something as powerful as a Lantern ring could be very helpful to the team, but not with a side-effect like that. Assuming you intend to keep it.”

You open your mouth to answer, but hesitate, and your turn to speak is snatched away.

“I can ask Kyle to come by,” Wally says rapidly. “I don’t know how much  _ he  _ knows about this Star Sapphire business, but it’s probably more than most of us do.” And with that, he zooms out of the room.

“Perhaps we should run a test,” Kory suggests. “That is, if you are feeling better now. If you were acting strange in front of Garth but not the civilians on the street, and the ring uses feelings of love, maybe it is caused by the presence of your friends.”

“That’s what I was thinking, too,” Garth agrees. 

“It’s worth figuring out, at least. Are you up for it?” Dick asks.

Oh, God. Isn’t that a question. This seems like it could end up awfully incriminating, but at the same time--hell, they  _ might  _ be right. And it would probably be even more incriminating to refuse outright, wouldn’t it? So, hesitantly, you nod, and let the ring slip back onto your finger.

“Whatever, I guess,” you sigh. “But this time, make sure someone stops me  _ before  _ I make a fool of myself?”

“Sure thing,” says Roy again. “Seriously, anyone got a camera?”

With a roll of your eyes, you stand up and allow the Star Sapphire uniform to adorn you once more, and the power surge is immediate. Thankfully, you don’t need to go through that painful crystal process again--the change is instantaneous, with a little flash of pink light around you.

“This outfit suits you very well,” says Kory, and since she is still the closest to you, she is also the first one you see. Her hair actually does pretty well at blocking out the others from your view, especially as she leans even closer. “Do you still feel yourself?”

You feel maybe a little warmer than usual, but it’s nowhere near that hazy, powerless feeling you got when you looked at Garth before. Even now, there’s a strange, subtle tug, like something is urging you to look in his direction, but you do your best to ignore it.

“Yeah,” you nod. “I feel normal, at least right now.”

“Okay, hold on,” Dick says. “Everyone, leave the room. It might not be exactly the same for all of us, so we should try to do this one at a time. If we find out who, then we might be able to figure out why.”

Damn him for being smart. You try to avert your eyes while everyone files out of the room, and as your stomach turns, begging  _ him  _ not to come in next, you’re relieved by the sight of Donna slipping back in instead.

“Hi,” she says. “Feel any different with me?”

She skips over to you, and even pulls you into a hug for a second, and you can’t help but laugh a little.

“No, I don’t think so,” you say. “Not much, at least. You know, this is kinda humiliating.”

“I figured it might be,” she says sympathetically--although, she also seems to be enjoying it. Then, she lowers her voice. “Do you think it might  _ only  _ be Garth?”

“Well, how should I know?” Did that sound defensive? You hope that didn’t sound defensive.

“Guess we’ll find out, huh?” With that, she leaves, and you feel weirdly...seen. Oh, God, does she  _ know? _

The next one in is Dick, and even though his face is mostly neutral, you swear, he thinks this is kind of funny, too. 

“Is this really necessary?” you ask as he comes to a stop a few feet in front of you. 

“If it jeopardizes your safety and effectiveness on a mission, then yeah,” he says, but then a real smile pulls at one side of his lips. “Looks like you’re fine. I was thinking, if the ring works on feelings of love, and so far, it’s only  _ Garth  _ who--”

“Why don’t we wait for the space guy to show up before we start making hypotheses, hm, detective?” You don’t mean to be snippy, but come on! He’s right out there!  _ Atlantean ears!  _ And has everyone on the damn team been reading your diary, or what?!

Dick raises his hands in surrender. “Hey, it was just a thought.”

“Yeah, well, save your thinking for after the experiment, alright?”

Vic slips in after him, and stops before you while pointing at your hand.

“You think you could let me take a look at that thing sometime?” he asks. Apparently, he’s not as interested in the side-effects as he is in the ring itself. “Most powerful weapon in the universe, extremely advanced supercomputer, and complete intergalactic encyclopedia, and yet none of the  _ leprechauns  _ ever let me get a read on theirs.”

“Honestly, after I talk to Kyle, it’s all yours,” you say. “I’m starting to wonder if this thing isn’t more trouble than it’s worth.”

“What  _ isn’t  _ more trouble than it’s worth in this line of work?” he grins.

You sigh. “If you figure it out, let me know.”

As Vic exits, you see Roy wrestle back Garth to take his turn instead, and for once, you’re glad to see that their somewhat antagonistic friendship has worked in your favor. 

“Don’t worry,” he announces boldly, slamming the door behind him. “If you pass out again, I’ll make sure to catch you.”

“My hero,” you drone, but you can’t help but smile a little.

“Anytime you need me.” Like the others, he walks up a few feet in front of you, but given it’s Roy, he pushes it by a couple more steps, coming almost close enough that you feel inclined to lean backwards. “So, on a scale from 1 to 10, how in  _ love  _ with me do you feel right now?” 

You tilt your head at him. “Why don’t you take a guess?”

“Eleven, huh? Figured. You know, I was thinking, maybe this whole magic-trance thing’ll be cured with a kiss, since it works on  _ love  _ and all that.”

“Sorry, Donna beat you to it,” you lie. “Didn’t seem to work.”

_ “What? _ She stole my idea  _ and  _ you didn’t even get a picture of it?!”

“Maybe next time,” you sigh. “Now, get out of here.”

“Alright, alright, I know when I’m not wanted. But, hey, if you ever wanna give it another shot, you know where my room is.”

“‘Course I do, how else would I know to avoid it?”

“That’s cold,” he says, pointing at you while he walks backwards towards the door. “You know what? You and Gillhead deserve each other.”

Your mouth drops open.  _ “Why _ does everyone keep saying--?”

“Relax, I’m joking,” he waves you off, and opens the door again. “You’re up, fish-breath. Don’t offer a kiss, though, it makes ‘em cranky.”

“I can’t imagine why,” Garth retorts, but you’re doing your best to avoid watching him come in, because you know damn well that as soon as you look at him, you’ll lose it--if you ever  _ had  _ it in the first place.

The door closes, and you hear his footsteps, and you know you can’t keep looking away or it’ll seem weird, so you slowly bring your gaze back towards him, just as he comes to a stop in front of you.

“Me again,” he says. “I wanted to ask, are you sure you’re feeling alright? You were passed out for a while. It might be for the best that you keep the ring off, at least until Kyle gets here.”

It hits you like a damn freight train. 

You aren’t even gifted with a gradual build, something you can fight to ignore for long enough to convince the others that you’re fine now. No, as soon as you lock onto those violet eyes so close in front of you, it’s like the wind is knocked out of you, and your brain is submerged in warm molasses. You open your mouth, but even if you wanted to say anything, you couldn’t. What’s there to say? There can’t possibly be anything more important, more pleasant than standing here in front of him like this.

“Oh... _ again?” _ he asks, a little awkwardly, like he wasn’t expecting you to be so far gone so quickly. You weren’t either, damnit! “Um, you should probably take it off, now. ...Can you hear me?”

You don’t respond with anything other than a smile, so Garth places his hand against your forehead with concern, and then sucks in a breath.

“Whoa, you’re burning up!” Swiftly, he removes his hand from your forehead and grabs your hand instead, meaning to remove the ring for you, but unexpectedly, you grab his hand back tightly in reciprocation, and Garth pauses. “Oh, um, that’s not what I was trying to… Okay, uh…”

Rather than snatch his hand away, he just uses the other to try and pry the ring carefully from your finger, and after a few moments, he succeeds. The veil is lifted once again and your pink suit removed, that sharp feeling like surfacing from underwater bringing you back consciously into the present.

“Oh, shit, it happened again,” you whine, just in time for that same weakness to make you wobble unsteadily.

You don’t pass out this time but your knees buckle, and Garth’s reflexes are fast enough that before you hit the ground, you’ve been raised into his arms instead. 

“Yeah, sorry. Are you alright?” he asks. Absolutely  _ not  _ and  _ especially  _ not in this position, you’re tempted to say. 

“Five bucks they’re scoring on the couch,” comes Roy’s voice suddenly, and neither you nor Garth can react much before the door swings open, Dick’s hand on the handle, and just about everyone else is peeking in curiously. 

“Damn.”

“Five bucks, you said?” asks Wally.

“Wh-- _ Twinkle toes? _ When the hell did you get back?”

“Just in time to win that bet.”

Their bickering fades out as the others step back into the room, and you’re fairly certain you could fry an egg on your face right now.

“So, it happened again, huh?” Dick notes.

“Seems like it’s just Garth,” Donna adds.

Kory wonders, “Could it have anything to do with his Atlantean physiology?”

“I don’t see why a piece of weaponized jewelry from space would have a problem with Atlanteans,” Garth muses. “It’s possible my sorcery is interfering with it somehow, but I still don’t see why it would cause  _ that  _ reaction. But, uh, I did sort of have a different theory about all this...”

Oh, God, no, does  _ he  _ know too? Is he gonna say it like this? Here and now, while you’re trapped in his arms like some kind of hapless, distressed princess? You might as well kiss your life goodbye.

“...I thought that it might have something to do with the fact that  _ I’m  _ the first person they came into contact with after receiving the ring.”

...Wait. That’s...perfect! It’s because he was the first one you saw! No one can blame it on your stupid crush! Nevermind the reasons it brought you to him specifically in the first place--Garth just proved your innocence without even knowing it! What a genius! No wonder you like him so much!

“Ah,” Donna nods, and she throws you a look that seems just knowing enough to contradict what she’s about to say. Maybe she’s also in the business of saving your ass. “That could be it. If it needs the host to feel love in order to be powered, maybe the ring itself just sort of decided to use Garth as a source.” As embarrassing as even  _ that  _ is, you remind yourself to actually kiss Donna at some point.

“You know,  _ I  _ never got a turn,” Wally chimes in. “What if it works on me, too? That would probably complicate things.”

“We can find out another time,” Garth says, and a little surprised at his sternness, you look up at him--which, you’ve been very decidedly  _ avoiding  _ doing since he picked you up. Why is he still holding you, by the way? “It’s clearly not doing anything good for them right now. They nearly passed out again while you all were outside. Until we figure out why this is happening and how it might be hurting them, I don’t think it’s worth the risk it might pose.”

Roy puts his hand up like he’s sharing a secret with Wally beside him. “Look at that.  _ Aqualad  _ thinks he’s their boyfriend, now.”

“Shove it, Roy,” Garth snaps back. 

“Garth is right, though,” Donna adds. “We should let them rest, at least for today.”

You sort of wonder if they realize it’s  _ you  _ they’re discussing--it’s not like you’re unconscious. This seems like as good a time as any.

“Uh, Garth? I think I can stand,” you say, and his face practically does a 180 as it falls back to you with concern.

“You sure? I can carry you to your room if you aren’t feeling well.”

Okay, even  _ you  _ catch that one, and it’s not surprising when Roy and Wally start downright snickering with each other. You catch Donna give Wally a subtle elbow in the rib. Man, she’s just on a roll for you today.

“Can you get your minds out of the gutter?” Garth snaps again. “I swear, it’s like being teammates with a bunch of thirteen year olds.”

“I’ll be fine,” you assure him, and very carefully, he puts you back on your feet. It feels like you can finally take a deep breath again. “Anyway, this was oodles of fun and all, but can we  _ please  _ go about our business? The fight’s over, I’m sure everyone’s tired and could use a shower, and I certainly have had enough of being the center of attention for a few _ decades. _ I’ll talk to Kyle whenever he gets here, and if he has anything important to say, I’ll relay it to the rest of you. Okay?”

“Sounds good,” says Dick with a nod, and at that confirmation, everyone essentially scatters. The only two who hesitate are Garth and Dick himself, but Garth seems content to let Dick finish whatever it is he has to say first. “I hope you don’t mind if I tag along when you talk to Green Lantern.”

You pop an eyebrow. “Expanding your database, Sherlock?”

“Maybe a little,” he grins. “But mostly, I just want to make sure we’re on the same page about whatever it is that’s happening. When one of my teammates gets a massive power upgrade, I kinda need to know exactly what that entails.” 

“Yeah,  _ sure,  _ leaderman,” you agree. “I’d have to tell you afterwards, anyway.” He nods.

Then, you turn to Garth. And Garth turns to Dick. Dick gets the message.

“I’m gone,” he says with a quick salute, and once he closes the door behind him, you kinda wish he had taken you with him.

You decide to try and get your piece out before he can. “I’m really sorry that--”

“--Wanted to let you know--”   


You both pause, then both open your mouths again, but all that comes out is a laugh.

“How about I go first?” Garth proposes. “All I wanted to say was that...I mean, I know how this looks to the others, especially with all the teasing, but… I don’t want you to worry about that, or let it bother you. I’m sure you’ll find out what’s really going on and have it solved in no time, and if there’s anything  _ I _ need to do to fix it, just let me know. I just don’t want you to end up hurting yourself because of that ring, and I won’t think anything of it if you ask me for help.”

You’re sort of dumbfounded, on multiple fronts. First of all, he doesn’t think you have a crush on him like everyone else? How is _he,_ like, the only one who doesn’t seem to know on some level? Thank God for little miracles, you guess. And he’s worried about _you_ being bothered by all this, when _he’s_ the one who this stupid piece of jewelry makes you act like a creepy, lovesick zombie in front of? His only concern in all of this is your well-being? Is there a better man on the planet?

“Were you going to say something, too?” he asks, sort of snapping you out of your thoughts. “Sorry, I just thought that if we stay behind  _ too _ long, someone might think we’re having a, uh, different sort of conversation.”

“...If a conversation at all,” you sigh, and Garth just smiles and nods. “I was just going to...apologize, that you ended up… I mean, that it’s with  _ you  _ that it happens. I can’t really do anything but just...watch when I’m like that, but I’m sure that from your perspective it’s pretty fucking freaky, and if I could stop it, I would.”

He furrows his brow. “You don’t have to apologize for that at all. I know it isn’t your fault, and it’s not freaky, it’s just...it makes me  _ worried  _ to see you like that. I can tell when you aren’t yourself. Really, if there’s anything I can do--even if it means leaving for a bit while you sort it all out--just let me know.”

“No, no, I would never ask you to  _ leave, _ Garth, I--”

Just then, the door slams open once again, and you see Roy and Wally at the door.

“Damnit!” curses Roy, and you feel like you’re getting a case of deja vu. 

“Haha, that’s another $5, Speedy,” Wally declares, victorious. “Sorry, guys.”

“Shut up, West,” he mutters, but hands him a bill nonetheless, then points at you and Garth. “Next time, could you do a guy a favor and at least make it  _ look  _ like you’re doin’ something nasty?”

“Roy,” is all Garth says, and when you glance at him, there’s purple light sparking in his eyes.

“Alright, alright,” he says, backing out of the room. “Don’t get your flippers in a twist. But when you two really  _ do  _ hook up, everyone on this team is gonna owe me $5.”

The door shuts behind him, and it takes a lot of willpower to make yourself look back at Garth after that. Neither of you speak for a few seconds, and then:

“Sorry that--”

“I’m really sorry--”

Again, you both pause, and again, you both laugh. Somehow, you feel like this should be a lot more awkward than it actually is.

“You know, I think we should just quit while we’re ahead,” you sigh. “Before Roy comes back with a full TV crew or something.”

“You’re right,” he says, and pauses for a moment while he looks at you warmly. “...I really hope you and Kyle can figure out what’s wrong. I think, if it’s what you want, you’ll do really great as a Star Sapphire.”

Aw. Well, now your heart is warm, in addition to your face. “Thank you, Garth. I...don’t know if I’ll even be able to keep the ring, but it means a lot to hear you say that.”

He nods happily, and with that, he leaves you along with your thoughts. 


	3. listen to your heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ya know, i was expecting this story to be a bit more niche, but i wasn't expecting it to be THIS niche. it's funny--i first posted this fic just a little earlier than i started posting my jason one, and while this one hasnt even made it to 100 reads, the jason one is at well over 1000. even my niche little drabble series about the villain from one of the lesser known and loved silent hill games has garnered a significantly higher viewer base, and i put a hell of a lot less work into conceptualizing that one than this one! garth lovers really are a dying breed! but that's alright; it's more for us, i suppose. also, i really, really love the star sapphires.

“Alright, so, Star Sapphires,” Kyle begins. “I’m not exactly an expert, but I’ll tell you what I know.”

For the sake of privacy and given the potential subject matter, you’ve decided to host this conversation in your room; you sit on your bed, rolling that problematic ring between your fingers while Kyle speaks, and Dick has slipped in as well, leaning against the wall beside your door. He’s still suited up, which means he’s probably off to Gotham or Bludhaven or wherever the hell else he goes after this--when he finds the time to  _ sleep  _ with a schedule like his, you have no clue.

“Green Lantern rings are powered by the user’s will, but Star Sapphire rings work on feelings of love,” he continues, “I’m sure you’ve figured out that much already, though. There’s a lot of things they can do that Green Lanterns can’t. I’ve fought with Star Sapphires before, and they can really be a, uh, force to be reckoned with.”

“By ‘fought with,’ do you mean alongside or against?”

“Both, actually.” You give him a look to make him elaborate. “It’s, well… We’re on good terms, for the most part, but the relationship between the Guardians and the Zamarons--they’re basically in charge of the Star Sapphire corps--has always been a little, uh...tempestuous. And, well, love can be a pretty volatile source of power sometimes.”

“Kyle, what I’m trying to ask is if it’s a space-crime for me to own this thing.”

“Oh, no, not at all,” he assures you, but then tilts his head, scratching at the back of his neck. “Well, I mean, it  _ should  _ be fine. Just don’t...go crazy, or something.”

“That’s reassuring, thanks,” you sigh. “I’m wondering why I haven’t been, like...contacted by these Zamarons or whatever, though. Do they know when a new person gets one of their rings?”

“You know, I’m wondering about that as well,” he muses. “New Green Lantern recruits usually get put through boot camp as soon as they put the rings on. The Star Sapphires are known for being secretive, at least with Green Lanterns, but I don’t think they’re that big or that heavily organized, so it’s possible you’re just...free to do what you want for the time being. Follow your heart, or whatever. But, hold on, you don’t even have a power battery, do you?”

“A  _ what?” _

“A power battery, to charge your ring,” he repeats, and then steps a little closer to you, looking down at it in your hand. “Hold on. Ring, check power levels.”

Your ring glows faintly, coming back to life. “Power at 11.7%.”

You frown at that. If it’s  _ your  _ ring that chose  _ you, _ shouldn’t it only respond to you? Just anyone can have a conversation with your piece of space-jewelry? That hardly seems fair. 

“Yeah, okay, if you wanna keep that ring, you’re gonna have to go to Zamaron,” Kyle says with a nod. “If your ring runs out of power, it’s not gonna operate, and you need a power battery to keep it charged. There’s no telling where the previous Star Sapphire kept theirs, so you’ll have to go see if they’ll give you a new one, or at least figure out where the old one is. I’d offer to go with you, but, uh, I don’t know how good of an idea that would be.”

“Rocky relationship?” you guess.

“Yeah, exactly. It’s not like they’d attack me on sight or anything, but I’d probably get a frosty reception at best, and possibly tarnish your first impression.”

“It ain’t easy being green, huh?”

“Oh, you don’t know the half of it,” he sighs. “But I can still fly with you to Zamaron, especially since your ring’s so low. If it runs out of power in the middle of space, you’ll need someone to carry you the rest of the way until you can recharge.”

“The ring said I can teleport,” you recall. 

“Right. Forgot you get to do that.”

“That almost sounded jealous.”

“Just slightly,” he smiles. “I gotta find a wormhole to do that. Seriously though, I don’t think you’ll be in any danger if you go over there alone, but, I mean, have you ever been in space before?”

“Nope.”

“That’s what I thought. It can be pretty overwhelming to go to a whole different planet for the first time. Maybe I could find someone else to go along with you--someone they’d be a little more pleased to see.”

“You know what? Don’t bother,” you say with a smirk. “I think I’ve got that covered.”

Your eyes slide over to Dick, and he nods with a little smile. “I was thinking the same thing.”

Kyle looks between the two of you a couple times. “Okay, that was kind of cryptic, but I’m glad I could help. I know we operate on different wavelengths, but if you ever need a ring-slinging tutor or a guide to the galaxy, feel free to give me a call.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” you say with a laugh. “Don’t let me keep you from your League business, or constructing green anime girls, or whatever it is you’d rather be doing.”

“Wha--? Did Wally tell you about that? That was  _ one  _ time!” 

“Oh, wow. No, I was just joking, but thanks for the confirmation.”

“You know what? I retract my teaching offer,” he says as he heads for the door. Dick opens it for him.

“Fine, fine,” you say. “But once I learn how to use this thing, we’re gonna find out officially which one of Timmy Turner’s fairly-odd parents is superior.” 

“Oh, you’re on, cupid. Anytime, any sector.” He gives you a smirk and makes an “I’m watching you” motion with his hand before he takes off down the hall and disappears.

Once he’s gone, Dick gives you a smile. “So, should I tell Kory, or did you want to?”

“Oh, please let  _ me  _ tell her. I think she’ll be excited for the field trip.”

-

You and Kory arrive on Zamaron in a snap, and the second she gets an eyeful of the scenery, she gasps with a level of drama that you would expect to find in the realm of musical theatre.

And for good reason, too. Everything is pink! The ground, the structures, the giant crystal formation, that big, shiny monument that rises up above everything else--it’s all various shades of pink, and various degrees of luminescent. 

“Oh, it’s beautiful!” Kory exclaims. Before you can concur, another voice cuts in from behind you.

“Welcome, Star Sapphire.”

You startle slightly and turn around. “Whuh--? Uh, hi.” 

Just as soon as the words leave your mouth, your eyes blow open a little wider as you process the appearance of the very tall, ridiculously thin, and deeply blue skinned alien in front of you, dressed in all pink just like everything else here.

“This is your first trip home, I assume?” The question doesn’t even process fully, but you just nod dumbly. “You will want to speak with Queen Aga’po.”

With that, the alien turns and starts walking, and it takes Kory tugging lightly on your arm to remind you that you’re meant to follow.

You’re pretty sure you recognize the queen before you approach her--she stands somehow ever taller than the other blue aliens and just slightly more adorned, two attendants at her side, and as she takes note of your advancing group, she gently waves off the others and turns to face you.

“My Queen, our newest Sapphire,” the one who guided you announces with a gesture before slipping away. 

“I am Queen Aga’po of this planet Zamaron, and ruler of the Star Sapphire corps.”

With an awkward clear of your throat, you announce your full name. “...Of, uh, Earth.”

“And I am Princess Koriand’r of Tamaran--as well as Earth.”

“An Earthling…” She notes as she takes in your appearance.“It is rare for one of your species to wield a violet power ring. And a Tamaranean. My heart weeps for your lost planet, Your Highness.”

“As does mine,” Kory says solemnly.

You clear your throat; now, where to begin? “So, um… A different Star Sapphire, the one who wore this ring before, they…”

“They met their end,” she finishes. “A heartbreaking tragedy to lose one of our own, but the love they bore can never die.”

“Right.” You nod in agreement compulsively again, and you’re beginning to feel like a bobblehead.

“Walk with me, Star Sapphire,” the queen says, gesturing down a long hall. “Your companion will be attended to.”

With that, two other blue aliens approach Kory, muttering something you cannot make out and gesturing outside of the palace, to which she nods and contentedly follows. You aren’t really worried about leaving her alone, given that it’s her, but it’s a little unnerving for  _ you  _ to not have her beside you for emotional support at the very least. As you begin walking, the queen starts speaking once again.

“It is important that you learn of both your powers and your duties as a Star Sapphire.”

“I was wondering, why didn’t the ring make me come here immediately? It seems like that would be pretty important to learn before doing anything.”

“The ring will not force your hand in any manner; you only need go where your heart takes you, and every Star Sapphire’s heart is led home eventually.”

“That makes sense,” you say, even though it kind of seems like bullshit; but, hey, you  _ are  _ here, so maybe it isn’t. 

“I suppose your ring has explained the basic tenets of its capabilities?”

“Um, yes, it said, uh: hard light, energy beams, flight, the crystal thing, and, uh...the teleporting. By the way, am I ever going to be able to choose exactly where I end up when I do that?”

The queen gestures to the side, and you both turn onto an open balcony. The slightly higher view of the planet nearly distracts you from hearing her words.

“Once you possess mastery over your ring, there is little that can limit its capabilities,” she says. “Many more powers are at your disposal in wielding the ring of the Star Sapphire. In time, you will come to learn them. But the most important thing you will learn is our oath.”

“Oath?” you repeat, and just then, another blue lady steps up to you and hands you something pink and shiny like whatever the hell these Star Sapphire suits are made out of. You accept it by its handle, and now that you think about it, it kinda looks like a--Oh… Is  _ that  _ why they’re called lanterns? “Thank you...”

“Hold your ring to the center of the power battery,” she instructs, and you follow her command. So that’s what Kyle was talking about. You aren’t gonna have to carry this thing around, are you? “Now, repeat after your sisters.”

Your what-nows? Well, now that you think about it, you  _ have  _ seen a lot of women on this planet. But suddenly, as if on cue, many of the other pink figures break into what sounds like chanting, pointing their own rings either at similar power batteries that they carry, or at that giant monument that you now realize looks like a really, really big power battery.

_ For hearts long lost and full of fright, _

_ For those alone in Blackest Night, _

_ Accept our ring and join our fight, _

_ Love conquers all with violet light! _

You manage to follow along just slightly out of sync, repeating it as it was being said, and when you finish, your ring feels hot around your finger.

“Power level: 100%” it reports.

“...Am I gonna have to say that  _ every  _ time I need to recharge?”

“Yes,” she says, smiling pleasantly. Great. Let’s hope you remember.

You get the impression that you’ve now heard the gist of it, so you might as well bring up your most pressing concern.

“Um, Queen Aga’po? There was something I wanted to ask you about as well.”

“Certainly.”

“Um, I’m not sure how to explain this, but when I wear the ring, sometimes I get into this...weird trance-like state, and I can’t really...do anything.”

“Your behavior seems out of your control, yes? I have heard of this before in young Star Sapphires, though it is not commonplace. It is because you are not in tune with the ring. It is wielding influence over you, rather than the other way around.”

“Can I...fix that?”

“Of course you may. You must learn to listen to your heart, love openly and freely, and find pride and beauty in these feelings. Once you are a creature truly unafraid and unashamed of your love, then the ring will have no choice but to yield to the strength of your heart.”

...Uh, of course, why didn’t you think of that! “...Right, okay. How can I achieve that, exactly?”

“You have a beloved, do you not?”

Eep! “Um. Define ‘beloved.’”

“The boy of indigo eyes--the water-breather. Your love of him alone is a conduit for much of the ring’s power. Your thoughts must dwell on him frequently.”

A stunned heat rises to your face--you didn’t expect her to  _ know  _ about him. “Okay, well, that’s--”

“And yet, you do not share your heart with him. Why is that?”

Compulsively, you feel the need to keep your voice down. “It’s--it’s just a crush, I mean…On Earth, we aren’t always open with that sort of thing. It can be...private.”

“A love known and freely displayed is much more powerful than a heart hidden and cloaked in shame.”

“It’s not  _ shame,  _ it’s just… It’s embarrassing, and it would be even more embarrassing to get rejected, and it could compromise the balance on our team, and--well, it’s really not that important.”

“But it is important to you, is it not?”

“It... _ is,” _ you decide. “Yes, it is. But I love my teammates as well, and I love being a Titan. I wouldn’t jeopardize that over...a crush, and, I mean, it’s not like he would...well...”

She tilts her head at you. “Why do you believe the young man is not interested in you?”

Why do you feel like you’re trapped in an alien therapist’s office? “Um, Garth is--I mean, he’s a wonderful friend, and I really do adore him, but I just...don’t think it would work. It sounds cliche but...we really are from two different worlds. He’s an...ambassador to his people, a diplomat, practically royalty in Atlantis, and he has so many responsibilities down there, and...Hell, I can’t even _ swim. _ It’d be hard to imagine him interested in someone who’s afraid of the stuff he  _ breathes.” _

“Sometimes, it is that which makes us separate that ties us closer together in the end. Boundaries such as home or customs cannot hinder a love that is true.”

“I get what you mean, but...this really  _ is  _ a one sided, uh... _ love.” _ Calling it that makes you feel like a melodramatic teenager. Ugh. “I think that if he reciprocated...at all, I would know by now. I really don’t think he’s looking towards the surface world for...that sort of thing. I mean, I don’t think he’s looking for that sort of thing  _ at all, _ after...” Well, there’s no need to bring that up.

“Your lover may not be one to show his adoration in bright and vibrant displays, but that is not at odds with the enduring flame in his heart.”

“My--He  _ isn’t _ my--” You sigh. Honestly, you know a losing battle when you see one. “...Well, whatever...What do you mean by ‘the enduring flame in his heart’?”

“The boy’s heart is brightened by a spark of love. It is one other than just the love of compassion or friendship.”

“You mean...he’s  _ in  _ love with someone? How do you know?” Your stomach sinks, even if you shouldn’t be surprised. He spends so much time away, traveling back to Atlantis many nights a week, and sometimes leaving for days at a time on official business; of course it’s possible that he’s found someone; someone who can actually swim. “Well...do you know who it is?”

She smiles at you. “You will know only if you ask him.”

“I...don’t think that I should. I mean, I...I’d probably rather not know. I don’t want to let something like that distract me when the team might need me, and I know it would be silly to get depressed over something like that when there are greater issues at hand, but… I’d just prefer not to know.”

“You must remember; a heart broken is still a beating heart, and one who suffers in the absence of love is still fueled and strengthened by the power of love unrequited or lost. It is the acceptance and pride in these feelings that makes a Star Sapphire.”

“I...You mean, you want me to  _ let  _ him break my heart? Letting him reject me, or--or tell me who he  _ actually  _ loves is the only way I’ll be able to control this ring?” Oh, God, maybe this was a bad idea after all. You don’t know if your heart can take that--and you mean it in the lethal sense, rather than the sentimental.

“I am advising you to be open with your heart, Star Sapphire, no matter what may result of it. When you love so dauntlessly that the risk of heartbreak does not strike you with fear, then you will truly own that ring around your finger. You must be careful not to use the ring with a clouded heart for too long--it can result in pain, for both you and the ones you love. Only once you have overcome this barrier will the ring and all its power truly belong to you.”

“Alright,” you say, trying not to seem too down about it. “I understand. Thank you for everything. Really.”

“Of course,” she says. “You are welcome to stay and train with your sisters, but it is not your obligation. Your heart will always guide you back to Zamaron when it is necessary.”

“I… think for now, I’ll head home,” you decide. “But I hope to see you again, Queen Aga’po.”

“And I you, Star Sapphire.”

With that, you head off to find Kory, but you fall deep into your thoughts while you’re on your way.

It hits you that you’re in space. Outer space. It doesn’t get much further from the depths of the ocean than here. Get over it,  _ get over it, _ you try to urge yourself, but you can’t help feeling like this ring has put the final nail in a coffin that was already sealed shut. Garth already has his time and attention split constantly between the land and the sea--why on Earth would he want to spare any of it for you up in the stars? It would be ridiculous--selfish, even--to hope for something as futile and inconsequential as the star-crossed, impossible love of your daydreams that you still cling hopefully onto. The tides and the moon might be connected from afar, but they sure as hell aren’t about to kiss each other.

Whatever. It’s childish to dwell on this; what you really need to focus on is how you’re going to achieve this proud-heart state that Queen Aga’po told you about. It seems like you really are gonna have to be honest and confess your feelings, but what exactly does that entail? Do you have to be honest with him, or might it work to just be entirely honest with yourself? Maybe with some other friends? Are you  _ really  _ gonna have to tell him, and deal with the consequences of that? Honestly, now that you have it, you don’t want to give up this ring; the power and sense of something greater than yourself that it provides you makes you excited, and you really want to do what it takes to truly own it. But whatever you end up doing, you sure as hell aren’t going to rush into it.

Kory has made herself quite at home here. You find her in a small, circular, domed building nearby, lounging amongst giant pink pillows with others who wear the same uniform as you, chatting happily and laughing amongst themselves. You catch a little snippet of something she says, and you’re pretty sure she’s talking about Dick. But when she sees you, she gets excited and flies quickly towards you.

“I’m very glad you brought me here,” she says. “This planet is beautiful, and many of the Star Sapphires are very wise. But more importantly, have you solved your problem?”

“Yes, but no,” you sigh. “I know now how to fix it, but...”

“Do you need any help from me?”

“Oh, no, not at all. I just… Well, I’m sure it’s obvious to you already, but… I don’t think it can be fixed unless I tell Garth that…” 

“That you love him,” she completes easily. It makes your face scrunch up to hear it outloud.

“Is it really that obvious?” Even  _ you  _ aren’t sure if it really warrants the L-word.

“To some more than others, certainly,” she says with a giggle. “This is good news, isn’t it? That’s a very simple fix.”

“It sounds like it, but… just the thought of actually telling him makes me feel like an idiot,” you say. Your face turns into a sickened frown. “And she--the Queen, she said… I don’t know how she knows, but she told me that Garth is… already in love with someone. An Atlantean, I guess. I’ll have to tell him already knowing what his response will be.”

Kory hesitates, and makes an unsure face. “She told you  _ who  _ he is in love with?”

“No, not who, but… I mean, he spends most of his time down there anyway, so it isn’t hard to guess. He has a whole life in the water that most of us hardly know about.”

She gives you a frown, looking almost exasperated. “If even she does not know, then why are you so certain that Garth is in love with a fellow Atlantean? It could very well be _ you, _ you know.”

“Kory, please, I can’t get my hopes up like that. What would he see in me? And it’s not like we spend much time together.”   


“Well, Garth doesn’t have much time  _ to _ spend. But you must see the way that he has cared for you, especially since you were given this ring.”

“He’s just  _ kind _ \--you know that--and he thinks he is somehow responsible for the way the ring affects me when I’m near him. Don’t you think that if he was actually interested in me,  _ I _ would be the first to notice?”

“I can’t help but feel like you do not give yourself enough credit--and yet, give too much at the same time.” She sighs, deeply.

What? Is she bullying you? “What does that mean?”

“There are many reasons that Garth may be interested in you, that you may not even be equipped to see--and, you must remember not to let your own feelings blind you to the feelings of others. Trust me, I must be the  _ princess  _ of feeling things. Plus, it is very possible that the Queen has lied to you.”

“What? Why would she do that?”

“Perhaps in order to incite you into action. It seems unlikely that she would somehow be aware of the romantic feelings of one specific man from hundreds of lightyears away.”

“I don’t know. I just...I don’t want to make things any harder for him than they already are,” you admit. “Regardless of whether or not he already loves , I just don’t want to unnecessarily pull him into my... _ melodrama. _ I’m terrified that if I do confess to him, he’ll feel horrible about turning me down because of how sweet he is, and that’s the last thing that I want to do to him.”

“There you go again,” Kory sighs. “How about this: why don’t _ I  _ speak to Garth for you? He is often quite open with his friends. If I find out his feelings for you _ , _ then you will be more confident about revealing yours to him.”

“Oh, God, no...Thank you for offering, but that would be so horribly obvious. No, I’ll… When I’m ready, I’ll tell him the truth. If he does...reciprocate, well, that would be wonderful, but if he turns me down and there’s a chance it may affect the team… I guess I might just decide to focus on this Star Sapphire training instead.”

She snatches your hands up into hers. “You mean you would  _ leave  _ the team? Why?”

“It’s not that I want to, Kory, I promise. I just think it would be for the best, if it turns out...poorly. Better _I_ leave than make Garth feel as though he should, or jeopardize our efficiency during a mission.”

“You’re sounding like Dick,” she groans. “You haven’t even told him yet, and yet you already assume the results and plan for the worst. It baffles me how you Earthlings can even _ survive,  _ with so few of you being truthful about your feelings to yourself and others.”

“You and me both, girl,” you sigh. “Now, are you ready to go home?”

“If we must,” she jokes with a wistful sigh. “Will your ring take us back to the tower?”

“I honestly do not know,” you say. But, alright, you might have a suspicion where you’ll end up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i just realized garth doesnt even appear in this entire chapter... may have gotten a bit out of hand in the excitement of Kyle Appearance and Zamaron Visit!


	4. i wanna know what love is

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> in case i didnt mention it before, the title of this story is a lyric from ocean eyes by billie eilish. i dont really listen to her much, but for some reason, that one song feels SO INSANELY garth to me that i've listened to it on repeat--literally--over a hundred times while writing this story and while reading garth comics. actually, it might even have been listening to that song on repeat that inspired me to write this particular concept in the first place, somehow. it definitely inspired the "trance" aspect, cause it just kinda sounds like what that might feel like to me. i would recommend listening to it while reading parts of this story as well, if you wanna sorta hear the headspace i put myself in while writing it hehe

With a flash--and it really is that quick--you’re home. And someone just screamed.

“You’re back!” Oh, of course, Garth just screamed, because you appeared right in front of him again with no warning while he was holding a bag of chips--half of which appear to be on the floor now. But, he doesn’t seem to care much, and tosses the bag aside. “How was it out there? Were the other Star Sapphires nice?”

“Hello, Garth,” Kory cuts in. “Excuse me, but I am eager to see Dick.” 

With that, she zips hastily out of the room, and as you and Garth both watch her sudden departure bemusedly. You can’t help but wonder if she  _ actually  _ wants to see Dick that badly, or if she thinks she’s doing you a favor (rather than committing a heinous betrayal) by leaving the two of you alone. Now, you’re pretty much forced to look at Garth properly.

There it is again--within seconds of catching his eyes, that dreamy haze starts to cloud your mind, but you’re prepared for it this time. It can’t get a hold on you faster than you can snatch the ring off of your finger and pocket it.

You smile. “They believe in love above everything, Garth. They were  _ very  _ nice. And, uh, most of them were blue, actually. But the planet is very, very pink. It’s gorgeous, if not a bit gaudy. I had a hard time getting Kory to want to leave.”

“That’s great,” he says. “Really great. Did you find out what’s going on? Why the ring makes you, uh...act funny?”

Well, if you told him why right now, it’d probably solve the problem outright in one way or another, but frankly, that isn’t a conversation you’re even remotely ready to have. 

“It’s, um...it’s complicated. I’ll...be able to overcome it, but I think it will take a while.”

He nods in understanding. “Well, if there’s any way I can help, please let me know. It’s the least I can do, since I’m the one that seems to mess it all up in the first place.”

“Oh, please, it isn’t  _ your  _ fault.” It really, really isn’t.

“Right, I just remembered. Did you ask about that theory? If it’s because I was the first person you saw, or something like that?”

If only he knew how scary it is for him to ask that! “It’s...I don’t exactly know. It seems to be a rare phenomenon, even among the Star Sapphires.” Let’s hope he accepts that non-answer, because you really don’t want to lie to him outright.

“I see,” he says. “Well, I’m sure you’re tired. Why don’t you go sit down?”

You point to the ground. “The mess, I should help--”

“Don’t even worry about that,” he says, waving you off. “Go sit. And put your, uh...whatever that thing you’re carrying is away.”

You cock an eyebrow at him, wondering what’s put him in such a pleasant mood, but you do what he asks and wander off to go store your power battery in your room, then return to sit on the couch. Even though you turn the TV on and try to get comfortable, you end up just watching Garth’s back curiously as he flutters around the kitchen. A few minutes later, when you’ve actually turned your attention to the children’s show playing on the television--Lian was apparently the last to use it--he finally takes his seat beside you, setting a plate on your lap in the same motion. You nearly do a double take at the plate of food you didn’t even ask for, and when you try to look at him in question, he’s already digging into his sandwich, eyes focused on the TV.

“Oh, is that Bubble Guppies? I love that one.”

You--

...

Baffled, your eyes flicker between Garth and the TV a couple times as you try to force the growing smile off of your face, but there’s just no winning against it, and a laugh bursts from your throat a bit louder than you would have preferred.

_ “What?”  _ he asks, looking at you almost in betrayal, but it gets a laugh or two out of him as well. “It’s educational and it’s about the ocean. Sue me.”

“You can’t just say that you love a show made for five year olds and expect me not to be alarmed.”

“Hey, it’s not like I watch it out of choice,” he says, punctuating with a large bite, which he swallows way faster that it seems like he should be able to. “Lian gets us all with ‘TV time’ every once in a while.”

That’s for sure. You never thought an unshakable tolerance for children’s television would come to be among your skills as a hero.

You finally face the sandwich he put in your lap, and find yourself shocked once more. Not only is it your usual type, but the ratios are just about perfect to your own slightly-picky preference, and lifting the bread shows just the right amount of mustard spread against it. He even gave you different chips on the side than himself, knowing which ones you prefer.

“...How’d you know exactly how I like it?” Maybe a silly question since you’ve eaten together before, but you’ve never had  _ him  _ make a sandwich for you.

He looks at you and shrugs. “I just remembered from the last time.”

_ That well? _ you wanna ask. “Well, thanks…” He scrunches his face in a smile, and it’s really cute.

Now, if only you can enjoy your sandwich as much as Garth seems to be enjoying his--and refrain from spitting it all over yourself whenever he comments on the TV show as if it’s something either of you are remotely the appropriate age to be watching in the first place.

-

The next day is Saturday, so you wake up hoping you’ll get off easy. Maybe be able to go somewhere private and expansive to test out your ring’s capabilities, or even just spend a lazy day around the tower after how hectic the past few have been. It’d certainly be well deserved.

You were entirely wrong, though.

You get woken up at 10 for training at 11, and it’s at Dick’s insistence, so you know there’s no getting out of it. He must’ve had this marked in his schedule, too, because the whole team’s there when you groggily arrive at the training room, and as soon as you complete the roster, he starts orating his planned itinerary. You know it’s been a while since you’ve had a proper training session as a group, but couldn’t it have been an afternoon session at least? You’d think an unexpected trip to outer space might warrant a few extra hours of sleep.

“I don’t doubt any of your talents,” says Dick as you tune back into his words, “but I want to make sure none of us get too used to falling back on our individual powers or specialties. That’s why I want us all to get in some practice with unarmed, hand to hand combat. We need to be effective no matter what condition we’re in.”

He says that like he isn’t talking to a bunch of veterans. Oh, well, and the kids--Toni and Grant--decided to drop by for it as well. You wonder if they’ve decided to stay for good.

“This isn’t exactly amateur hour, Grayson,” Roy pipes in accordingly.

“Doesn’t hurt to stay sharp, Roy,” Donna reminds him.

“Yeah, yeah.”

“Donna, would you like to spar with me?” Kory asks, and you can tell that she is looking forward to it. For reasons you can’t quite comprehend, she always seems to derive nothing but pleasure from each training session.

“Actually, I’ll be pairing you off, if that’s alright,” Dick says. Uh oh. “We’ve got a tendency to fall in with the same partners. I wanna mix it up a little.”

“Think that might be because some of us--and only some of us--can throw cars around with our bare hands?” you chime in, but Dick just ignores you as he scans the crowd.

“Vic and Donna, you two together,” he decides first, then glances around the group contemplatively again. “...Roy with Kory.”

You’re pretty sure he’ll put you with Toni; as it stands, you’re probably the worst at hand-to-hand on the team, but she’s new enough to all this that she’ll probably be able to learn from you without getting too overwhelmed. Either that, or he’ll put you with  _ himself  _ and hand you your own ass a couple hundred times like he apparently loves to do.

Coincidentally, Dick calls your name next and your ears perk up, only for him to jab his finger at the last person you want him to (and yet, the first person you should’ve expected him to). “Try Garth.” 

“Wait,  _ what?” _ you say. Oh, come on, you were  _ sure  _ you’d be with Toni. 

“Should I be offended?” Garth says, but he seems to think your reaction is funny.

“No, it’s just that you can’t exactly turn off the whole bone-crushing strength thing, and I can barely flip  _ Wally  _ on his scrawny ass.”

Okay, you probably shouldn’t have provoked him, cause those green eyes hone in on you immediately. “What, don’t wanna fight your boyfriend?”

“Can I  _ please  _ hit Wally instead?” you request, deadpan.

“Later,” Dick says. “You’ve been improving a lot, but you need more practice against higher-powered opponents. If  _ I _ can beat people much physically stronger than me, then so can you. It just takes practice.”

“First of all, you’re mini-Batman,” you argue. “But...alright, I guess I’ll try not to die.” If that’s the case, you really don’t see why he couldn’t have paired you with Donna. Is it wrong of you to sense a conspiracy against you? Oh, God, Kory must have told him everything!

“I’ll go easy on you,” Garth assures you, stepping closer, and that nearly makes you inspired to actually beat him. Assuming you can even take your eyes off of his face long enough to throw a punch. “I’m better at fighting underwater, anyway.”

Dick finishes up the pairings with Wally and Grant, and Toni and himself--the latter of which seems pretty brutal, if you’re being honest. But, you suppose she does need the most practice.

You and Garth find an empty spot of your own and, well, square up. He seems to be waiting for you to take the first hit, but you can’t bring yourself to. It isn’t even that you don’t want to hit him, as much as you’re scared hitting him might break all of your bones whether he goes easy on you or not.

“Um, why don’t you swing first?” you suggest.

Garth raises an eyebrow. “Sure.”

He does, and instead of the dodge you were preparing yourself for, you end up squeaking in a mild panic and “going ghost,” as it were, making Garth’s fist go straight through your shoulder. 

“Hey, I didn’t swing  _ that  _ hard,” he jabs, but there’s an amused grin on his face as he pulls back his arm.

“I know, I just panicked,” you sigh. “Try again.”

He tries again; you ghost again. Damnit. 

Garth nearly laughs. “I’m not trying to shish kebab you, here.”

“I _ know,  _ I know, I--”

“Powers  _ off,  _ Phantom!” Dick yells from across the damn room. You look over to him just in time to see him deflect three attempted hits from Toni in close succession, without even sparing her a glance. You still aren’t fully convinced the Batclan aren’t a bunch of metahumans themselves.

With a groan, you un-ghost yourself, and an embarrassed heat rushes to your face. The idea of sparring with Garth makes you panic enough on its own--the fact that he very well  _ could  _ punch a hole through you doesn’t reconcile that in the slightest.

“I don’t think this is physically possible,” you note.

“Sure it is,” Garth retorts. “But, how do you figure?”

You raise your fist up into position. “May I?”

“By all means.” He stretches his arms out to the sides to give you more punching space.

Minding your footing, you give him your best punch, right in the solar plexus. Somehow, it almost knocks the wind out of  _ you _ . Garth doesn’t move an inch, and doesn’t react much either, but you shake your poor hand as you pull it back, slightly throbbing at the knuckles.

“That was a pretty solid hit,” Garth compliments, presumably just to make you feel better.

_ “That _ is why it’s physically impossible. At least when I miraculously land a hit on Dick, I know it actually hurts him. Trying to fight you is like throwing punches at Michelangelo’s David.”

He puts his fingers at his chin pensively and nods. “You know, I  _ do  _ see the resemblance.”

You snicker bashfully, and, man, you don’t know if you should thank Dick or kill him for pairing you off with Garth. He’s just so cute.

“Fighting is more than just raw strength, though,” Garth continues a little more seriously. “Yeah, if you try and hit me while I’m standing there prepared to take it, it won’t do much, but that’s not the point. It’s about momentum.”

“As I said before. I can barely put Wally on his back.” 

“Then pretend I’m Wally,” Garth says. You scrunch up your face, and he laughs. “Yeah, that’d be my reaction, too.”

You reluctantly get back to sparring--forcing yourself to remember to dodge rather than remove yourself as a target altogether--and after a lot of hits, blocks, and narrow misses, you finally, finally manage it. As your hard-earned reflexes kick in at the perfect opportunity, rerouting the weight of Garth’s punch against him, you nearly yelp in unnecessary sympathy at the heavy sound of his back hitting the mat.

But, wow! You did it! 

“You did it!” Garth cheers from the ground, beaming up at you with a wide smile that reminds you that, in spite of having, indeed,  _ done it, _ it was certainly done without an ounce of pain on his end. Half of you wonders if he didn’t just  _ let  _ you flip him. 

“Good job,” comes Dick’s voice, suddenly right beside you with a congratulatory pat on the shoulder. That time, you actually  _ do  _ yelp (and then try to elbow him, which misses, because of course it does).

“Yeah, yeah,” you sigh, finally realizing how taxing it was to achieve this victory, your breathing still a little on the heavy side. “All thanks to your training, or whatever. Permission to hit the showers, you tyrant?”

Dick crosses his arms, thinking it over, meanwhile Garth pops back up, not a single sweat broken. Assuming Atlanteans can even sweat in the first place. Wait a second,  _ can they? _

“Put Garth on his back one more time, and I’ll think about it,” Dick decides, cutting off your train of thought. 

“Ugh...”

Something tells you you’re not gonna be escaping from this training room anytime soon.

-

Later that day, when you heave your increasingly sore body out of your room and into the kitchen in search of as much food as you can reasonably fit inside your body, you come across a familiar face. Garth gives you a quiet smile as he procures an apple from the fridge, and you just sort of awkwardly nod in acknowledgement as you quickly busy yourself with looking through the drawers.

There’s not much to be found; it’ll probably be time for another tower grocery run soon. Just as you’re trying to remember whose turn it’ll be this time, a voice makes your abdomen seize in surprise. 

“...That was fun,” Garth says suddenly. “The training earlier. We should do that again sometime.”

You reign yourself in before you start to think too much of anything about what he just said, and then furrow your brow. “Really? I can’t imagine you got much of anything out of it.”

He shrugs, taking a massive bite of his apple, and then swallowing it...oddly fast. “I dunno, holding back sometimes is practice in and of itself,” he reflects. “If I went all out on your average human bad guy, they’d probably die.”

You give him a look, and his eyebrow goes up in question.

“...And yet, you acted like I was silly for being concerned about getting shish kebabed,” you sigh, but he only grins at you.

“That’s cause I know I’d never forget my own strength with  _ you,” _ he explains, and, mortifyingly, steps a little closer to give your shoulder a gentle squeeze. “I don’t want you to be worried about getting hurt with me. Or, well, with any of us who are a little stronger than your average land-dweller.”

“That’s nice, Garth,” you mutter, opening yet another drawer (which only contains a half-eaten loaf of wheat bread), “but I promise you hurting me is the  _ least  _ of my worries.”

About a half second passes before you process what just came out of your mouth, and it feels like a self-administered slap across the face. Why the hell didn’t you just stay in your room?

Now he’s frowning. “What do you mean? What’s worrying you, then?”

You force a chuckle to cover up your utter horror and try to casually wave off this hole you’ve dug yourself in.  _ “Oh, _ no, that, uh-- That sort of came out wrong. I meant, um…”

Nothing’s coming to mind, your stomach is doing cartwheels, and Garth is looking more and more concerned by the second. You’re fucked.

“Am  _ I _ worrying you?”

You shake your head instantly, insistently, but when you’re unable to say anything, unable to even maintain eye contact, he seems to take on a look of deeper understanding, which makes your blood run cold.

“...The ring,” he notes. “Are you worried about being around me because of the issue with the ring? I can’t blame you for that.”

Your eyes pop open wide, and you turn to face him fully. _ “No, _ no, that’s really not it. I shouldn’t have said anything, honestly, you don’t have to worry about it.”

He looks...unconvinced, and sports a sympathetic smile. “Sorry, but it kinda seems like that  _ is  _ it. Or something along those lines. If it makes you uncomfortable to be around me, you can tell me. I promise I won’t take it personally.”

“Garth,” you say outright, hoping to God your heart doesn’t just beat its way out of your chest in your anxiety. “I swear it’s not like that. I... _ like _ being around you, really, even with this whole...situation. I didn’t mean to worry you.”

That brings a bit of the smile back onto his face. “Well...alright. If you’re sure, I believe you. Thanks for telling me.”

You just sort of nod. Either you’re more tired than you thought you were after the day of training, or the rate your heart is going at is making you feel lightheaded.

He starts on his way out of the kitchen, presumably where he was headed before you came in, but then hesitates one last time, flashing you a bright smile.

“And, uh, sorry for doubting you,” he says. You can’t even bring yourself to respond to that.

When he’s completely out of sight, you clutch the edge of the countertop with tense and pale-knuckled hands, half-considering bashing your head against it a couple times.

This...is not going well.

-

You know you were just there the other day, but something keeps pulling you back to Zamaron. Though you had your early dinner and hoped to go to sleep a little sooner than usual as well (partially to escape the nagging mortification of that bombed interaction with Garth as quickly as possible), you end up laying very consciously on your bed and staring at the ceiling with your mind too deep in thought to relax. After your last conversation with the Queen, something that doesn’t quite add up just keeps gnawing at you.. 

Maybe it’s a little impulsive to throw on your ring and send yourself back, especially having no clue what time of day it’ll be over there, but hell, you know you won’t be able to sleep until you get your answer.

This time, you aren’t immediately roped in by one of the inhabitants, and the planet’s pink majesty astounds you once again as though it were the first time. You take a moment just to take it all in as you wander towards what must be the palace--the building in which you last spoke to the queen. Asking a guard at her post just outside, you’re pointed in the right direction.

This time, the queen is seated in a (still extremely pink) inner chamber, a line of guards circling the room, and a couple of attendants spread around the area. No one is talking when you walk in, so you settle to just awkwardly float to a respectful distance from her throne.

“Um, hello, Queen Aga’po,” you greet. “I know this is a little abrupt, but I really needed to ask something.”

“I am happy to answer, if I am able.”

“I’ve been thinking about this a lot, but… I love my friends. I really, really do, and my heart would break without any of them as well. So...why is it only Garth that makes my ring react like that? Does it only work on...well, romantic feelings?”

“No. The Star Sapphire ring is fueled by any and all forms of love. Though romantic feelings may at times be the most intense, it is hardly the core of our power.”

“But, then...why does--?”

“I, admittedly, do not know intimately all of the intricacies of the power rings, even though it was I who appointed their creation. Your situation, as I have told you before, has occurred in the past, but is not common. To address your question, I must wonder; your love for your friends does not give you any distress, correct?”

You shake your head insistently. “No, of course not.”

“However, you are anxious and distraught over your love for the water-breather, and your fear of its consequence. That painful emotional energy may be what is allowing the ring to overtake you in his presence, but not that of the others who you love without fear; and that is why an unfettered and proud heart is so vital to wielding the power ring of the Star Sapphires. Did that answer your inquiry?”

“...Yes.” How humiliating; and yet it’s probably exactly what you needed to hear. “Yes, it very much did. Thank you, once again.”

“I am happy to provide my guidance whenever it is needed. Now, if you will excuse me.” With that, she leaves you.

You don’t really want to teleport back this time, knowing you’ll most likely end up right in front of Garth yet again, possibly scaring the hell out of him,  _ and  _ knowing that he could very well be at the bottom of a body of water at the current time on Earth. But, you also don’t know how long it’ll take to make it back home from here, or even which direction to take off in. 

“Hey, uh, ring? Can you navigate me home? Oh, and how long will it take? In Earth time.”

“Approximately two days, twelve hours, and 38 minutes will pass on Earth at maximum speed of travel; it will take you two Earth hours to arrive.”

That gives you a shock. “Two and a half days in only two hours? How the hell does that make sense?”

“The Star Sapphire ring is capable of flight travel at extreme speeds, and the relative passage of time through various sectors of space is highly complex.”

“Okay, yeah, I believe you.” You sigh. “Damn. If I had known, I would’ve left a note.”

Resigned to this fate of possibly becoming a missing persons case, you take off into the cosmos, and find your ring influencing your direction of flight until you’re on the right course. At least you’ll never get bored of your surroundings.

When you finally arrive back at the tower and make it to your room as quietly as possible, there is much to think about.

You aren’t the closest of friends with Garth--if anything, your little crush gives you a tendency to avoid him a little more than you otherwise would, subconsciously or otherwise--but after what you heard on Zamaron, you start to think that maybe you  _ should  _ be. Maybe it would make all of this easier.

Comparatively, you’re still somewhat of a newbie to this team. Donna, Dick, Wally, Roy, and Garth all go as far back as childhood with each other, and you couldn’t hope to forge a bond that strong with any of them. But this whole team has still become some of the most precious people in the world to you, and hell, you wouldn’t be in that _ L-word  _ with Garth in the first place if you didn’t already care so much about him as a friend.

You should never be avoiding him. In fact, you should probably be sticking yourself to his side in this situation. The more time you spend with him, the more you talk to him, the more you  _ know  _ him, the less it’ll hurt when you eventually have to speak your mortifying truth, and the less anxious you’ll be about doing it. If you’ve grown so close as friends that even an embarrassing love confession won’t actually threaten the relationship, you’ll just be able to get over it all the faster, and you’re sure those unintentional  _ negative  _ feelings will be gone in no time. And, hell, if he really does have some Atlantean sweetheart he hasn’t told anyone about yet, your happiness for him might come to trump the self-pitying grief you’d probably secretly wallow in for days as it all stands now. ...Ugly, but true.

God, it feels like this should’ve been the obvious answer all along. If you care about him so much, why wouldn’t you want to be as close to him as possible, no matter the nature of the relationship? Why would you let some silly fear about him realizing something so ultimately inconsequential stop you from spending time with him? You love him, both as a friend and as something other than that, and that isn’t going to change regardless of how this all turns out. Sometimes, you wonder about your own sanity--or at the very least, your IQ. This overactive heart of yours has got you feeling like a lovestruck idiot teenager again.

Alright. This was a fruitful excursion after all; now you’ve got a game plan. Once you’re truly comfortable around him, you’ll be able to tell him anything, even something that will break your heart, and be at peace with it. And that peace--no matter how harrowing it may be to achieve it--will finally set you free as a Star Sapphire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tbh, this may be the most stupid, oblivious, and socially-challenged reader character i've ever written, so congratulations to them for that! those are all pretty traditionally common "awkward insecure blank-slate self-insert" traits, but i hope this one doesn't come off as generic as those usually are 😬. i just need them to be this way in order to extend this concept for any prolonged period of time, LOL.

**Author's Note:**

> if you like this story, please consider leaving a comment for me! that sort of feedback is what helps motivate me to keep writing, and getting a nice, descriptive review comment always makes my day! <3


End file.
